Chapter 014: The Great Thunder Sound Temple

At the end of the ruins, an ancient temple appeared, silent and small in scale, far from grand. It consisted of just a single ancient hall, inside which stood a stone Buddha, covered in thick dust, with a bronze ancient lamp flickering beside it, casting a faint glow.

In front of the temple, there was a robust Bodhi tree, so large that six or seven people could not encircle it with their arms. The ancient trunk was hollow, and if not for the five or six shimmering green leaves that still adorned it, the entire tree would have appeared dead.

The temple and the Bodhi tree complemented each other, exuding an ancient charm that seemed to convey the passage of time and the changes of the ages, bringing an indescribable sense of tranquility and antiquity.

Upon reaching this place, everyone couldn't hide their astonishment. The grand palace complex behind them had turned to ruins, yet this small temple remained intact, giving a feeling of simplicity and authenticity.

"How could there be such a temple here?"

"The few remaining leaves on that Bodhi tree actually have a crystal green radiance flowing through them!"

The Bodhi tree is almost synonymous with the Buddha tree, deeply connected to Buddhism. According to legend, over 2,500 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment under a Bodhi tree, attaining the status of a Buddha.

The presence of this ancient Bodhi tree and temple, both showing signs of extraordinariness, was indeed astonishing.

"Why do I feel as if the river of history is surging, and everything before me seems incredibly ancient, as if it has undergone the sedimentation of history?"

The distance of fifty meters was short, and soon everyone arrived at the temple. Each person felt a strange sensation, as if they were looking at an old historical scroll filled with the aura of the years.

"Could this be a temple inhabited by a deity?"

"Could there really be Buddhas in this world? Although the ancient temple is in ruins, it still conveys a sense of simplicity and peaceful Zen."

The temple was silent and peaceful.

"There's a bronze plaque with inscriptions on it."

The dilapidated temple had a bronze plaque with four ancient characters carved on it, complex and difficult to recognize, but the first character, "大" (da), meaning "great" or "big," was easily identifiable by many, even those who did not understand the script.

"The last character is 'si' ," Zhou Yi, who had some knowledge of the script, identified the last character.

"These four characters read 'Da Lei Yin Si' ," Ye Fan read out the entire inscription at this point.

Everyone present was shocked and showed looks of disbelief.

"Da Lei Yin Si... Did I hear that wrong?!"

"How could that be..."

The legendary Da Lei Yin Si is considered the residence of the Buddha and the supreme sacred site of Buddhism. But this desolate ancient temple before them, so small and lacking any grandeur, merely a single hall, how could it bear the name Da Lei Yin Si?

Having already witnessed the nine dragon corpses pulling a coffin, the group had prepared themselves and almost believed in the existence of deities. But even now, they were somewhat taken aback. What did it mean for a temple on Mars to be named Da Lei Yin Si? Perhaps many histories and legends would have new interpretations, and the veil of mystery over ancient history would be lifted.

"The Buddha's teachings resound like thunder," which is the Great Thunder Monastery!

Could the temple before them truly be the legendary one?

If the speculation was true, it would be extremely shocking.

On Mars, a planet covered with red-brown soil and gravel, an ancient temple obscured by dust had an astonishing origin.

The more the group observed, the more extraordinary the temple seemed.

The heavenly palace behind them had once been majestic and grand, but it ultimately perished, leaving only debris. Yet this temple, seemingly dilapidated, still stood firm, creating a strange contrast.

A Bodhi tree, a flickering lamp, an ancient Buddha, and a temple—simple, serene, enduring the test of time, leaving behind what is "true," while the extravagant is but a fleeting cloud of dust.

A lamp, a Buddha, a temple, a tree—seemingly eternal, enduring in this world.

All of this was peaceful and tranquil, like a spring breeze, as if ethereal Zen chanting could be heard.

"If this really is the legendary Da Lei Yin Si, then the ancient tree accompanying the temple wouldn't be the very Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment, would it?"

"How could that be possible? That's just a religious legend. Do you really think that Siddhartha Gautama sat under an ancient tree on Mars for seven days and nights 2,500 years ago and became a Buddha?"

"Given our experiences today, nothing is impossible!"

Everything the group experienced today felt dreamlike, yet it was an ironclad fact.

At this moment, Ye Fan suddenly stepped forward, with Pang Bo following him as they entered the temple. At the same time, Zhou Yi quickly caught up and followed, with Wang Ziwen close behind, also entering the temple.

In the back, Liu Yunzhi seemed to remember something, his expression changed instantly, and he rushed over. The others also seemed to wake from a dream; if this was indeed the Da Lei Yin Si, then inside would be the dwelling of a deity. Although it had long been abandoned and covered in a thick layer of dust, it was still an extraordinary place.

The temple was small, just a single Buddha hall, empty and almost devoid of anything. Ye Fan went straight to the stone Buddha and picked up the accompanying bronze lamp.

The lamp was unadorned and simple in style, yet it felt warm and smooth to the touch, without the cold hardness of metal, more like holding a piece of warm jade. What was astonishing was that although the temple was filled with dust, the bronze lamp was spotless, as if it could repel dust.

This temple must have been unattended for many years, with dust piled up thickly, yet the lamp remained dust-free and still burning, which made Ye Fan wonder if it had been burning continuously since ancient times.

"Everything is so clean, except for the stone Buddha and the bronze lamp, nothing else is left," Pang Bo scanned the surroundings, but unfortunately, he did not see any other objects.

At that moment, Zhou Yi, who had followed the two into the temple, stepped on the thick dust, causing a "clang" sound, revealing a bowl.

At the same time, Liu Yunzhi and others also entered the temple, and everyone was silent, all searching quietly.

At first, the group was trapped in a mindset, facing the ancient temple with suspicion and uncertainty, still thinking with the mindset they had on Earth. It was not until Ye Fan took the first action that they suddenly realized they were on another planet, facing what could be the legendary residence of the Buddha, the Da Lei Yin Si, and there might be artifacts left behind by a deity!

Inside the temple, Ye Fan held the spotless bronze lamp, and soft light fell from it, the temple filled with its radiance.

Suddenly, Ye Fan heard a faint, almost imperceptible sound of Zen chanting, as if it came from the heavens. At first, he thought it was an illusion, but the Buddhist sounds gradually grew louder, filling the entire temple, resonating like great bells, solemn, grand, profound, and mysterious.

Then, all the dust within the temple retreated, leaving it spotless and clean, and a six-syllable mantra sounded: "Om, Ma, Ni, Pad, Me, Hum..."